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M1 iMac Configurations and Pricing Breakdown
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Unfortunately, when Apple only sells but a few product permutations, each individual product is forced to cover a broader swath of users audiences' {workflow / use cases} ... yes, this is a "Jack of All Trades, yet Master of None" problem for Apple which they've brought upon by their own choices.
Fortunately, some shortcomings aren't as expensive to minimize than others, such as this one (Ethernet).
Now regarding the question of wanting "so much" permanent storage, it is straightforward futureproofing.
My current Mac's 512GB boot drive is inadequate today; while a 1TB would be satisfactory, it would only be so for a limited amount of time: at my observed rate of growth, I figure just 3-4 years before it would be outgrown. Since Apple has made the boot drive non-upgradable, I'm forced to buy more now....a 2TB solution should be adequate for the machine to last for ~8 years (longer than tax depreciation considerations).
FYI, this 2TB is just for the OS/Apps and incidentals that aren't trivially easy to move. I've moved my main workflow data off the boot drive a good decade ago, so it isn't even included in the above considerations for the boot drive.
Indeed, it adds up...and far too quickly too.
When I actually get a chance to take a photo vacation, I've been heading out the past few years (pre-CoVid) with at least ~300GB worth of memory cards.
And that's with only a 1080p capable system...I know that the next gear upgrade is going to blow this out of the water, as the rule of thumb for original RAW 4K content is ~100GB per hour of footage.
I am at a different point in life ... downsizing is my mantra. Not as much use for video (and fewer pics) ... I do use iMovie but not often. This is mostly my from work from home office machine, mainly ... Mail, Notes, Safari, Numbers, Pages, and Preview (pdfs). But, I understand the needs of the wider user base ... it's tough to cover all the needs for storage. I am just glad I can still order a new Apple computer relatively cheaply with my trade-in.
I have my main data on another drive too, and sort of can't believe my boot drive of OS/Apps/Mail data/Other OS-like data is taking up almost 500 GB. A large part of is Logic and Final Cut Pro loops etc., but I think that only added up to 350 GB?? Where did 150 GB of fluff come from??
It feels safer to have a separate data drive and a boot drive, but I wonder if it's just as good to have it all on one drive like the vast majority of users do and just back up with Time Machine. If I go that route then I would get a 2 TB internal SSD. How much more to go from a 1 TB internal to a 2 TB internal SSD? Is it much less expensive to get a Thunderbolt external drive for my data drive?
I found I had ~200GB sucked up between just Mail & Disk Journaling.
For data integrity, I generally run with using both Time Machine and CCC (Carbon Copy Cloner), as I'm still not 100% confident in TM for large scale backups. Didn't help that when I upgraded from 256GB to 512GB, TM wasn't of any help, since it didn't want to accept the 512 as a valid destination for a data restore.
For going to a second drive, even considering having to buy an external enclosure, it can be cheaper (one does always have to make the specific comparison). Case in point, at retail:
NVMe's generally run $150 to $225 per TB (as per MacSales webpage, found here), plus enclosure(s).
Apple's prices* are $400 per TB to 2TB**, then $300/TB for their 4TB & 8TB options.
* - priced by using only the 27" iMac
** - what makes the comparison a bit more wonky is there's an effective $200 credit for the standard 512TB that's being traded-in under Apple's upgrade options. So these comparisons really aren't "2TB vs 2TB" (or 4 vs 4), but is effectively "2.5 vs 2", "4.5 vs 4", etc...along with the trade space dilemma of "future flexibility vs losing a TB3 port".
yeah i’m not paying Apple for storage either! it’s ridiculous! i have a 1tb samsung usb 3.1 ssd i bought for maybe $150 i’ll just plug in. for my serious storage i’m going to get a 5 bay 3.5 hard drive enclosure. maybe if they put an 8tb SSD in there i would be willing to pay a few hundred more but no way $200 for a measly 256gb extra! i’m definitely getting one though i want a blue one! i’ll pay their tax on RAM but not for a slightly faster internal hard drive. with usb 3 speeds, external is fine with me
If I only have 180 GB before weeding out my old stuff then I think I can live with the 256 GB internal SSD ... I figure I can get things down another 30 GB to 150 GB with little effort. So, I really only need an HDD for the Time Machine syncs and other old archival storage. Maybe to be really generous I'll just get a 2 TB HDD.
That's because you know nothing about their ssds, have you ever did a speed test comparing to whichever ssd you have in mind? Pffftt They are far away faster than any of these ssds on market. Just compare and you'll see
yeah i was reading up on that so i might get a little extra storage after all lol. think i’m going to go with the 16g of RAM and 1tb internal drive. i just bought a 5 bay hard drive usb 3 enclosure for my large hard drives 10-16tb and am downloading windows ARM build for the M1 chip and Parallels as well. going to see if i can replace my 2012 mac pro with this! (or just use that one to run windows full time for games with my titan xp card in it)
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Chin: nothing new there. Classic iMac look for the last, what, 17 years now? Thinness: thinner looks sleeker. Power brick: just mount it under the desk. I do wish Apple would come down on their RAM and SSD upgrade prices, though.
Apple will find a way to make people care. The same way they got people to care about design in computers and compared to the boring plastic boxes and uninspired software we got back in the day (by showing that people are willing to pay a premium for good design), I feel we are all better off for it at the end of the day.
That is total madness, the base modal is one to avoid.
I have never heard of a desktop PC without an ethernet port
If they did make the stock version of it with 16GB of ram, it would be a lot cheaper than them adding 8Gb to the current stock version of the 8Gb one.
I ordered the base model. I know it is like a MacBook Air in performance ... except that the iMac has fans so it should actually sustain its performance. I have not used ethernet ... like forever ... and the two ports are exactly what I need. But I realize I may not represent the average user ... I am just a real lite user. Been waiting for this a long time and with my 2017 iMac trade-in ... the cost is under $1000 (including tax). Good enough!That is total madness, the base modal is one to avoid.
I have never heard of a desktop PC without an ethernet port